Tony & Julie Hook, Hook's Cheese

For These Cheeses, Getting Older Is A Good Thing

From a small factory on the corner of Jail Alley and Commerce St. in historic Mineral Point, Tony and Julie Hook produce some of Wisconsin's finest traditional and artisan cheeses.

Married, the couple were high school sweethearts and have made cheesemaking their life for more than 35 years. They spent months refurbishing the abandoned facility, built in the 1850s and once a livery stable and a blacksmith's shop before being converted to a cheese plant in 1929.

Built into the side of a hill, the building came with ideal cave-like conditions for aging cheese, and the Hooks have made doing so an art form. Their handcrafted aged Cheddars, some carefully nurtured for up to 10 years, grace cheese plates and menus at some of the nation's top restaurants and specialty stores. "Our seven and 10-year Cheddars are the favorites among chefs," says Tony, who adds that demand for more aged cheeses has soared in recent years as consumers seek more flavorful products.

Not every Cheddar qualifies for such extended aging. They must be expertly made and stored under just the right climatic conditions to ensure that the fabulously smooth, intense Cheddar flavor and slightly crumbly texture develop properly. "Some people say they don't like aged cheese," Julie says. "They think it's bitter. But chances are they haven't had an aged cheese that's done well. Some cheesemakers try to speed it up by raising the temperature, but you have to be patient," she adds. "We recommend to customers trying our cheese for the first time to work their way up – start with a taste of a three-year, then go on to five, seven and 10. They're usually amazed at how the cheese's flavor and texture changes with age."

In addition to Cheddar, the Hooks are widely known for their award-winning Hook's Original Blue cheese, which Tony added to the repertoire in 1997. In 2004, two new artisan Blue varieties were introduced—Blue Paradise, a rich, double-cream version, and Tilston Point, a natural-rind, English-style blue that's firm enough for slicing. A third new variety is Sweet Constantine, which Tony describes as having flavor characteristics of both Parmesan and Asiago.

While their cheeses can be found in outlets from Carmel, Calif., to Ann Arbor, Mich., to Minneapolis to New York, it's the local nature of their business that the Hooks really love. All of the milk for their cheese comes from a carefully selected group of 25 small family farms in the rural area surrounding Mineral Point. Tony personally delivers product to area restaurants, and every Saturday from spring through fall the couple can be found manning their busy booth at Madison's renowned Dane County Farmers Market.

"It's a lot of hard work, but we look forward to the market every week," Julie says. "We get so much satisfaction from talking directly with customers who appreciate buying locally-made products, and from watching them try and enjoy our cheeses."